At least five individuals lost their lives, and 13 others, including a police officer, sustained injuries following a suicide car bomb attack at the Domel Police Station in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The incident occurred when an explosives-laden vehicle crashed into the rear of the police station, triggering an explosion and subsequent gunfire exchange. Reports indicate that the sentry post was completely destroyed, and a significant part of the building was reduced to rubble by the blast, as per daily Dawn.
Multiple residences collapsed, leaving numerous individuals trapped under debris due to the severe damage caused by the explosion to nearby residential areas. Rescue 1122 responded by transporting the injured to hospitals, with some individuals reported to be in critical condition. District Emergency Officer Bakhtullah Wazir confirmed five fatalities, including a family comprising a husband, wife, daughter, and son, and 13 injuries, one of whom is a police officer. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to clear the area completely.
Rescue teams faced challenges in relief efforts due to continuous rainfall at the incident site. Following the cessation of gunfire, rescue personnel initiated debris removal operations to extricate trapped individuals. Security forces have sealed off the area and commenced clearance operations. This incident adds to a series of security threats in Bannu district, where both civilians and security personnel have been targeted.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has experienced a surge in terrorist activities over the past year. The Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) Annual Security Report 2025 highlighted a rise in violence in the province, with fatalities escalating from 1,620 in 2024 to 2,331 in 2025. In a separate incident on March 18, an assistant sub-inspector of the Elite Force was fatally shot by unidentified gunmen in the Mano Banda area of Gandigar in Upper Dir district. The victim, Bacha Yousaf Khan, was attacked outside his residence while en route to a mosque, where he succumbed to his injuries despite immediate medical attention.
